Curtain Call
by WTFDanielle
Summary: Two teenagers, both alike in dignity. In fair Tokyo where we lay our scene. . . KaixOC. When two rivals, who just don't like each other, are forced to work on the school production together, their clashing personalities suddenly don't seem so different.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I do not own the characters of Beyblade, however, I do own the rights to my original character, Autumn Montaque.

**Author's Note**: Just a warning, the contents of this story may contain some course language, violence and some serious teenage partying and angst. :D !  
Hence why it is rated **M**.

* * *

Chapter One  
_The Verdict_

I was minding my own business, doing my own thing at the side of the school, not disturbing anyone when Mr. Harris came up. He stared at my back for quite some time, before coughing to grab my attention. I turned to face him, spray can in my hand, paint splatter across my white tank top. A smile pursed my lips as I innocently sifted my hand through my platinum blond hair.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Harris," I greeted.

He glared and didn't address me with such enthusiasm or welcoming. "Ms. Montaque. . . what the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

Shrugging, I bent down and started packing up my things into the beat up, black school bag I rarely carried books in. "You know me, Mr. Harris—just spreading some culture and art. You have to admit, it's pretty good." I was talking about the mural I had thrown up on the side of the school, facing the road for _everyone _to see. It was meticulous and colourful and was quite visually appealing, but he didn't really think so.

Mr. Harris rolled his eyes, motioned for me to follow and I did, swinging my bag over my shoulder. "Oh, I do know you. . . too well Autumn. Why can't you just learn?" He escorted me into the pristine, white school and towards the office. Our footsteps echoed through the empty halls, because class was still in session.

My eyes lifted to the large skylight three stories up which illuminated the atrium. I gave a sigh, wanting the warmth and freedom of the sunshine to last, but it soon ended when I entered the chilly, air conditioned office. It smelled kind of like a hospital, but cleaner. Bottles of hand sanitizer lined the counter and an old lady with silver, permed hair looked up at me with a smile.

"Autumn! It's been a while, how are you darling?" she buzzed.

"All right, thanks. Yourself?" Our conversation proceeded as I was emptying the contents of my knapsack for Mr. Harris.

The same, bright grin remained when she answered. "Pretty peachy. Oh my, that's a lot of. . . stuff?"

On the floor, I had laid out all my cans of paint, paint markers, chalk, nozzles, some spare articles of clothing, a half empty carton of cigarettes, a couple lighters and a notebook.

The principle gave me a look of _holy shit_. I simply shrugged.

* * *

Why couldn't she just shut up. . . Her voice was so boring and everything she was saying was, well, so stupid and irrelevant. Or, it could have been relevant but I wasn't interested. I already knew everything she was teaching me, so it didn't really matter. Advanced functions? Child's play. . .

"This is so lame."

"Excuse me Mr. Hiwatari? Are you having a problem with my class?"

_Oh, shit, did I say that out loud? Well, I got myself into this_. . . "Yes, actually. I'm bored out of my mind; you are extremely dull."

She huffed. She looked like a penguin when she did that. . . A puffed up, old penguin with bad skin and a small distinction between leg and foot. "What, you think you can do better?"

Finally, an exciting part to the class. What was the worst that could happen? I get kicked out for the day? It gave me something to do, I really couldn't complain. "I probably could. Maybe if I was teaching, your students wouldn't be comotose by the end of the lesson." I gestured to the multitude of students passed out on their desks.

"Hmph, well, if you really think that then you can discuss it with the principle."

This was nothing new. A day where I didn't get sent down for talking back was a rarity, a day to be desired by Mr. Harris. Another detention wouldn't hurt. It saved me from a lunch time with Tyson.

I made my way down the hall, subconsciously directing myself to the office. The white blinds were drawn down, as always, but I could see a few silhouettes bustling about on the inside. Opening the door, the icy air hit me like a wall, but it was refreshing. Then I saw her. That blond girl from enriched English. . . Her hair was in thick dishevelled, kinky waves. She was fair skinned, clad in a white tank top layered over a black one and wore faded blue skinny jeans, torn at the knees. She wore a pair of grey, tattered slip on skate shoes of some sort but despite all her clean yet seemingly grungy attire her eyes compensated for all of that. Emerald eyes, deeper and richer than the stone itself. . .

. . . and I _hated_ her.

* * *

"Kai Hiwatari, what are you up to this time?" Mr. Harris rolled his eyes at the blue haired, office frequent.

He shrugged, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "It seems I have yet to learn my lesson."

"Poor Ms. McCarthy. She really does try, that woman. Couldn't you go a little easier on her? With grades like yours," he spun around to face Autumn, "and yours, I'd hate to punish such achieving students." The principle sighed. "In my office, _both_ of you."

The two teens quickly glanced at each other with a glare before following Mr. Harris into the office. They hadn't even stepped inside before they started at it. A simple gesture of bumping into each other set them off.

"Watch it, Hiwatari," Autumn seethed as she passed by, taking a seat on the other side of the maple desk, facing Mr. Harris.

"My apologies. I was distracted by your overwhelming sense of superiority," he mocked, sitting on the other side of her as far away as he could, arms and legs crossed.

She too crossed her arms over her chest, shifting uncomfortably in her seat. "Your bloated, egocentric personality is a huge turn off."

Kai huffed leaning forward on the arm rest to stare her down. "Do you see me trying to make a pass at you?"

"Suck my—"

"—Present it."

They continued to glare daggers at one another while Principle Harris stared in amazement. He coughed awkwardly into his fist. "Uhm, all right then. Can I go on now?" He glanced back and forth, from one to the other. "Hm, well, while you too were arguing, I think I came up with a great idea, the perfect punishment so I _don't_ have to suspend you."

Turning their attention to the authority figure across the desk they waited impatiently.

"Well, Autumn, since you seem so artistic and Kai, you show a flare for dramatics. . . The drama club is putting on Romeo and Juliet for this year's presentation in the spring. You two are going to now be a part of the stage crew. You have to attend every meeting and rehearsal. If I hear you've missed even _one _of those things; automatic suspension for the appropriate amount of time as well as however many after school detentions it takes to straighten you out. Capeesh?"

They stared blankly, mouths ajar.

"Now, back to class you two. First meeting is after school tomorrow in the drama room."

Mumbling incoherent curses under their breath, Kai and Autumn rose from their seats and slowly dragged themselves out of the office.

"This blows," the blond sighed, picking up her knapsack from the floor. It was virtually empty, now that her paints had been confiscated.

Kai stormed up to her. "Just stay out of my way and this will be easy. I want to deal with you as little as possible. When I exit stage left, you better be heading right."

"Well, I hope a sandbag falls on your head." She smiled.

With one last icy sneer, Kai left the office followed shortly by Autumn. It was going to be a long few months.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: All right, this one is short and sweet just to get that one little bit out; I know it sucks. It won't be long for the next one! I promise! I have a lot of spare time lately...**

* * *

It was last class of the next day. I watched the clock for the entirety of the class. Time ticked so quickly as I dreaded the arrival of the final bell, which would mean... drama club... with _her_. My pencil snapped under the pressure of my grip and frustration. I glanced over and she was doing the same, staring down the minute hand. She clicked her pen on her desk, the only sound in the classroom. I don't think it would have irritated me as much if it was anyone else. Eyes narrowing into a glare, the bell cut me off before I could have said anything.

_

* * *

_

_Finally_, my mind groaned. _I just want to get this over with, I barely have to interact with him as long as we both do our own thing._ Gathering up my books, I headed out the door and towards my locker. We made very brief eye contact as I passed, but not enough to start a sufficient battle of any sort.

We were situated at either end of the hall and didn't have to talk, ever. If talking did happen, it was mostly bickering. I don't think there were two people in the entire school that fought as often as we did. Some people thought it was because were so alike – I disagree. I wouldn't ever want to be like him.

"Looking forward to drama club?" came a voice from behind my locker door.

I closed it with an exasperated slam, leaving my restocked knapsack by my feet so I could lean on my locker. Rolling my eyes, I met the soft golden gaze of Rei, and smiled a little. "Not particularly..."

He picked my bag up from off the floor and threw it over his shoulder. Wrapping an arm around my shoulder, he pulled me to him firmly as we walked towards the auditorium. "You know, Kai's bark is worse than his bite. I don't know what came over you two, you used to be so close..."

I stopped at the auditorium and turned to face him, escaping his grasp. His hands fell to his pockets. "People change Rei..."

He reached over and ruffled my hair. "All right, if you say so. Hopefully one day I'll see you two make up."

Shrugging, I gave him another smile and slipped into the theatre. _He_ was already sitting in the back row.

* * *

The teacher addressed the whole club as Autumn took a seat. Everyone waited patiently for the roles to be announced and some people had a preconceived idea of who would play what. Autumn and Kai weren't strangers to the drama club, but after an incident a year back, they haven't been in it since. The teacher knew their potential and how well they used to work together before everything came apart.

"As you all may know, this year we are putting on a production of Shakespeare's _Romeo and Juliet_. I have carefully picked the cast based on former performances seeing as this is a major show that we are performing. Our leads will be played by..." the group looked around, spotting the pink haired Mariah as the one for Juliet. Max would most definitely be Romeo. Autumn and Kai felt like they had nothing to worry about, thinking they would remain behind the scenes as stage crew... "Kai Hiwatari and Autumn Montaque! Our Romeo and Juliet "

A gasp echoed through the auditorium as eyes darted from one end of the audience to the other. The two rivals stared ahead with mouths gaping. Then, in an instant met each other's eyes with deadly looks.

"I'm not working with him!" Autumn barked, jumping to her feet.

"Good, 'cause I didn't plan on working with _you_!" Kai retorted, pointed fiercely at the girl meters away from him.

The drama teacher shrugged. She really didn't care. "That's too bad because you really don't have a choice... your sweet principle said I could do whatever I wished with you two; you really have no say unless you would rather be suspended and detained?"

Throwing a few more nasty looks from one another, they retreated from the argument...


End file.
